Cleanliness review insights for New York, United States, Restaurants

0 Stars - Earlier today, 2/9, around lunchtime, five coworkers and I went to L’amore Restaurant to celebrate a coworker’s birthday. What should have been a simple, happy lunch turned into one of the most horrifying dining experiences I’ve ever had. After taking only two bites of my cheese ravioli, I immediately noticed the texture was off. Then I felt it, a snap and crunch in my mouth. I spit the bite back onto my plate and was horrified to see half of a waterbug or large cockroach mixed in with my food. Using my fingers, I pulled what was still in my mouth out onto the plate and found roach legs, part of the head, and a visible antenna. I had already swallowed part of it. Yes. I ingested part of a waterbug. My coworkers inspected the plate and confirmed exactly what I feared. This wasn’t a mistake. It was absolutely a large waterbug. We immediately alerted the waiter. His response? He looked at the plate, then looked at me in a way that strongly suggested he believed we planted it ourselves. No concern. No apology. No “are you okay?” He simply grabbed the plate and walked away to the back. That reaction alone was almost as disturbing as the roach itself. We all stood up and left immediately, completely disgusted and unable to even consider eating anywhere else after what we had just experienced. Our coworker’s birthday celebration was completely ruined. And in hindsight, it all makes sense. When we first arrived, a worker was standing outside begging people to come in. Against our better judgment, we gave the place a chance. This is what we got. The irony? The bathroom was sparkling clean. Maybe the kitchen could use even half of that level of attention. If you’re thinking about eating here, do yourself a favor and stay far away. The sanitary conditions are clearly questionable, but even worse is the complete lack of accountability, professionalism, and basic care for customers. This place doesn’t just serve food, it serves disgust. Steer clear.

A Cantonese roast-meat shop couldn't stay afloat and has now turned into Joy's Cafe. The renovation looked pretty nice, so I decided to give it a try -- but it was a complete disaster. The servers were walking around looking busy, yet we sat there for ten minutes without anyone acknowledging us. The plates and chopsticks they gave us were not properly cleaned, and there was black sediment in the drinking water. When a server finally came over, they gave us attitude just for asking to change the plates and water. If this is because they're in soft opening and the staff is still untrained and inexperienced, that might explain the service -- but the food is the real fatal problem. The curry chicken chop rice looked like they just scooped some pre-made curry sauce onto the plate and placed a pre-fried chicken chop on top without even bothering to mix it. The salt-and-pepper pork chop was the same story: basically a breaded fried pork cutlet plus a packet of salt-and-pepper seasoning, dumped on the plate without even tossing it together. The stir-fried beef chow fun was at least made fresh and had some wok hei, but it was far too salty. Every dish came out lukewarm at best. This is clearly another Hong Kong-style cafe surviving on pre-made food. If they don't make changes, I doubt they'll last a year.

As a novelist, a children’s books author and lyricist I visited this “Restaurant,” last night with my family for Thanksgiving, I was greatly disappointed. The Food was disappointing and disgusting! Their cook was a non hygienic individual with a disgraceful attitude. She cannot cook, she serves cold reheated food. She was also rude and combative she donned tattoos on her forearms. Her Salmon was bitter gross, mashed potatoes?! They don’t know the definition of Mashed potatoes. It’s the creamy fluffy white potatoes which are an American staple. Instead they served a gross purple indigenous potato called, “mashed,” potato. Reheated turkey meal, which was salty had too much fat and the sweet potatoes were lukewarm stuffing came from a box! The waitress Carmen was overly talkative, and not attentive, she was upset when I asked, her to exchange my potatoes, and fish not only was she non descriptive on what’s mashed potatoes were she purposely send the cook over to our table! I will not recommend anyone to this fiasco.

A bit of a mixed bag here at the Mythos, not convinced with the 4 star plus rating, a 4 star hotel maybe but definitely only 3 star services - but I’ll start with the positives! 5 stars for the hotel staff - most are very helpful, kind and customer focused (with the exception of the Zoe restaurant where they avoided eye contact at all times!) There’s clearly nowhere near enough people to meet the demand at the Zoe. I actually felt sorry for them but they were really quite rude and very ignorant, quite different from the rest of the team. 5 stars for the cleaning staff - what a lovely bunch. Always said hello and our room was spotless every day. Special mention to Poppy, she’s an absolute gem, please take good care of her! 5 stars for the staff at the Olea Restaurant, super fast service, very attentive and the food was lush. There are lots of uninvited guests here tho… cats, mosquitos and wasps, annoying but didn’t take away from the food and service but if you don’t like eating with extra guests, you may want to think twice as there are loads of them! 5 star for the reception team - always on hand to help and very polite and welcoming. Bit of a wait when we arrived, usual queuing to sort rooms, cases, passports etc but not horrendous. Room wasn’t ready tho so if you’ve got an early flight, pop your essentials in your hand luggage. 4 stars for the hotel, beautiful place with the most amazing sea views (would definitely recommend you pay extra). It’s a huge complex though and our room was so very far away from the main restaurant. Lots of very steep slopes to navigate too - although they do have these buggy type things to ferry you about - if you’re lucky enough to catch one. Otherwise, a great workout and good exercise! It’s definitely more for the older clientele too, I’m +50 and felt positively young here! 3 stars for the all-inclusive - cheapest beer and wine possible and all the cocktails tasted the same! Ordered a couple of different ones but think they throw Ouzo In them all as even my Mojito tasted of aniseed! Ended up paying for our beers, wine and cocktails from the main menu in the end and gave up on the freebies (well they’re not actually free as we paid for them in the price of the holiday!). 3 stars for the village - I purposely booked a quiet location but seriously, there’s nothing here. It’s quiet and then some. Only one shop and a few cafe/tavernas but again, be prepared to walk as there’s no buses and taxis are very hit and miss. Being Greece, there’s no pavements when you step out on to the main road and constant traffic - take care if you’re elderly or need a wheelchair/scooter - walking around the village is not for the feint-hearted! Would recommend the travel place just down the road (Messonghi Travel). We had a couple of trips out and they were excellent. Highly recommend the boat trips, really well organised and went to some lush places (Parga and The Blue Lagoon). Just not enough time to visit as spent most of the trip on the boat journey (worth it though and good VFM). Pop into Messonghi if you get chance too, more happening here and a lovely stretch of sandy beach. The beach here in Boukari is stone, pebbles and seaweed but there are beds dotted about and the sea is amazing. Clean, warm and shallow - spent most of our days on the beach and in the lush waters. Loved the sea but missed the sand - make sure you have aqua shoes and there are a LOT of stones to navigate but again, worth it for the sea and beautiful clear water. 3 stars for the entertainment - had a couple of great nights. The Greek music with guitar and violinist was superb, really authentic. Very confusing where the entertainment was being held too, as it changed daily! They do have an App so you can see what’s what, but changing venues daily wasn’t ideal and if the entertainment is up on the roof (Sky Bar) be prepared for a long wait to get a drink/seat, it’s mad busy. 2 stars for the Zoe (main) restaurant. Be prepared to have finished your meal before you get a drink. Ended up helping myself to water a couple of nights as the staff literally walk past you, despite every attempt to get their attention. The food was OK but we gave up on breakfast (too far to walk for a bit of brekkie!) and lunch and ate lunch at the Olea instead. Limited choice at the Olea (not buffet style) but really nice food and a few Greek specialties and super-fast, excellent service! All in all, if you love the hotel life and are happy to spend your holiday by the pool and around a hotel complex, then this is the perfect place for you. If you like to get out and about more, maybe not! Lovely place but I wouldn’t return.

After the restaurant took our credit card number months in advance and warned us to arrive on time -which we did- they made us wait because other people were still eating at our reserved table. We waited about 10 minutes, and they did not even offer us a free glass of water for the wait. I went to the toilet to wash my hands, and saw, to my dismay that it was filthy. I couldn't believe it, and actually told the hostess that the toilet was disgusting. She said she would check it. Later on, I went to use another bathroom, and to my utter disgust, it was filthy too - overflowing trash, toilet paper all over the place, some of the tiles were loose, I almost fell, the sink had not been cleaned who knows how long. I'll spare you additional details. So should I talk about the food, ambiance and service now? It is totally irrelevant. Imagine how the kitchen looks like if these toilets are not maintained properly. Ugh.

An ode to old school French cuisine with a slight modern flare. The food was flawless. Service equally as flawless. But the devil is in the details. I was disappointed by a dirty lipstick stained water glass, a dead flower on my table and a plate that had been obviously wiped with a greasy towel. These are basic rookie errors. Shouldn’t happen.

I stopped here because I was very hungry and wanted a hot bowl of pho, but unfortunately the experience was disappointing. The soup had very little herbs or toppings, and they only gave a tiny piece of lemon. I also paid extra for an egg, but it was almost completely raw and even had small pieces of eggshell in it. On top of that, the ceramic bowl was chipped and cracked, which is not hygienic and can be unsafe. I was hungry so I tried to eat it, but I couldn’t finish it. Overall, it was not a pleasant experience and I regret stopping here. In the end, $18 definitely wasn’t worth it. They also didn’t give me change from $20 - it’s a small thing, but after everything else it was just frustrating.

Review rating: 1.0

Experience in a 2-star restaurant in New York – Dinner on March 15 We dined at this 2-star restaurant on Sunday evening, March 15, on the occasion of our wedding anniversary. As soon as we arrived, we were surprised by the very cold temperature of the room: the air conditioning was on in the middle of winter, which made the moment uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the service fell far short of what you would expect from a 2-star hotel. Indeed, the Rank Chief left the room mid-duty; we were told that this was due to the excessive cost of keeping all staff in the room all evening — a very surprising situation in this type of facility. Moreover, at no time during the meal did anyone come to ensure that everything was going well at our table. As for the course of the dinner, we felt as if we were being pushed towards the exit: from the pre-dessert, a waiter started tidying up the room, which created some discomfort. At the time of payment, we were accompanied by a very kind young woman, speaking perfectly French, to whom we shared our comments. However, the manager present at his side had no word towards us, which we perceived as contempt. In terms of hygiene and details: • The truffle service on the risotto shocked us: the waiter handled the truffle for several tables without gloves. It is essential to serve the truffle with gloves, which has not been respected here. • The toilets were dirty and a lamp was missing, making the lighting insufficient. Another disappointing point: no nice dishes to accompany the dishes (except the dish around the egg). Always the same cutlery, pretty low-end. However, dishes are fully part of the gastronomic experience expected at this level. Regarding the attention paid to our special occasion, my husband had asked when booking a rose to mark our wedding anniversary. He was denied this, but a hand-drawn card had been placed on the table, a gesture we appreciated. Finally, it is important to note that the dinner itself was good, despite the numerous service deficiencies. Conclusion: An overall disappointing experience due to a service clearly not up to the standards of a 2-star restaurant, despite quality cuisine.

Review rating: 4.0

0 Stars - Earlier today, 2/9, around lunchtime, five coworkers and I went to L’amore Restaurant to celebrate a coworker’s birthday. What should have been a simple, happy lunch turned into one of the most horrifying dining experiences I’ve ever had. After taking only two bites of my cheese ravioli, I immediately noticed the texture was off. Then I felt it, a snap and crunch in my mouth. I spit the bite back onto my plate and was horrified to see half of a waterbug or large cockroach mixed in with my food. Using my fingers, I pulled what was still in my mouth out onto the plate and found roach legs, part of the head, and a visible antenna. I had already swallowed part of it. Yes. I ingested part of a waterbug. My coworkers inspected the plate and confirmed exactly what I feared. This wasn’t a mistake. It was absolutely a large waterbug. We immediately alerted the waiter. His response? He looked at the plate, then looked at me in a way that strongly suggested he believed we planted it ourselves. No concern. No apology. No “are you okay?” He simply grabbed the plate and walked away to the back. That reaction alone was almost as disturbing as the roach itself. We all stood up and left immediately, completely disgusted and unable to even consider eating anywhere else after what we had just experienced. Our coworker’s birthday celebration was completely ruined. And in hindsight, it all makes sense. When we first arrived, a worker was standing outside begging people to come in. Against our better judgment, we gave the place a chance. This is what we got. The irony? The bathroom was sparkling clean. Maybe the kitchen could use even half of that level of attention. If you’re thinking about eating here, do yourself a favor and stay far away. The sanitary conditions are clearly questionable, but even worse is the complete lack of accountability, professionalism, and basic care for customers. This place doesn’t just serve food, it serves disgust. Steer clear.

Signal: 0.0%

A Cantonese roast-meat shop couldn't stay afloat and has now turned into Joy's Cafe. The renovation looked pretty nice, so I decided to give it a try -- but it was a complete disaster. The servers were walking around looking busy, yet we sat there for ten minutes without anyone acknowledging us. The plates and chopsticks they gave us were not properly cleaned, and there was black sediment in the drinking water. When a server finally came over, they gave us attitude just for asking to change the plates and water. If this is because they're in soft opening and the staff is still untrained and inexperienced, that might explain the service -- but the food is the real fatal problem. The curry chicken chop rice looked like they just scooped some pre-made curry sauce onto the plate and placed a pre-fried chicken chop on top without even bothering to mix it. The salt-and-pepper pork chop was the same story: basically a breaded fried pork cutlet plus a packet of salt-and-pepper seasoning, dumped on the plate without even tossing it together. The stir-fried beef chow fun was at least made fresh and had some wok hei, but it was far too salty. Every dish came out lukewarm at best. This is clearly another Hong Kong-style cafe surviving on pre-made food. If they don't make changes, I doubt they'll last a year.

Signal: 0.0%

As a novelist, a children’s books author and lyricist I visited this “Restaurant,” last night with my family for Thanksgiving, I was greatly disappointed. The Food was disappointing and disgusting! Their cook was a non hygienic individual with a disgraceful attitude. She cannot cook, she serves cold reheated food. She was also rude and combative she donned tattoos on her forearms. Her Salmon was bitter gross, mashed potatoes?! They don’t know the definition of Mashed potatoes. It’s the creamy fluffy white potatoes which are an American staple. Instead they served a gross purple indigenous potato called, “mashed,” potato. Reheated turkey meal, which was salty had too much fat and the sweet potatoes were lukewarm stuffing came from a box! The waitress Carmen was overly talkative, and not attentive, she was upset when I asked, her to exchange my potatoes, and fish not only was she non descriptive on what’s mashed potatoes were she purposely send the cook over to our table! I will not recommend anyone to this fiasco.

Signal: 0.0%